Advertising display device for dispensing containers



Sept. 5, 1950 F. COSSA 2,521,449

ADVERTISINGDISPLAY DEVICE FOR DISPENSING CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 30, 1948 INVENTOR. FRANK C055A Sept. 5, 195@ coss 2,521,449

ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE FOR DISPENSING CONTAINERS Filed July 30, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FRANK COSSA I BY I,

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Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNlTEDlSTATES @PATENT orno-E ADVERTISING DISPLAY DEVICE'FOR DISPENSING CONTAINERS Frank Cossa, Bronx,N..Y.

Application July 30, 1948, SerialNo.41,514

1 This invention vrelates to new and useful improvements in display advertising devices, and, more particularly-the:aimr-is to provide aY-novel and valuable such device-for use on a dispensing container and so functioning that incidentalto a dispensing'of a productits designation .or trade name will be then especially displayed in a manner strikingly to call'attention to the same.

The new device is herein exemplifyingly embodied as applied to :a dispensing bottle for a liquid, as-a soft drink. As so embodied, the device comprises a casing.;carrying at one end a stopper orcorkcfor-theupper end of the bottle neck,- an advertisingtsignwon the:casing, illuminating means for such sign inside thecasing and incorporating'ian electric clamp :bulb; in a normally roped-circuit including :a battery :means i as "the current source, a liquid gpourftube, an .:air inlet tube, rand a mercury. switch :carried :by "the casing operable to close said,circuit--whenran;d' while the bottle .is i tilted-forzdispensing the liquid.

An object also .is to prcvidea device as just broadly describedand one-w'hich is :of relatively small size and weight, which: may beproduced-at comparatively small 1cost, -and which is readily disassemblablel for replacing -.a :battery element and/onthe bulb. v For further comprehension .of .the invention, and .of-the oblectsland advantagesthereof, reference will behad to the .;following description and accompanying drawings-andto the appended claims in which thevarious novelfeatures .of l the inventionare more particularlynet forth.

.In-the accompanying-drawings: forming a mater-ial part ofcthis disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view, showing a now favoredernbodiment. of the invention, in place :on a dispensing bottle indicated partiallyin dot anddashlines.

-Fig.,2is an enlarged top: plan viewofthedevice.

.liig. 3 ,isa vertical, section, :takemsubstantially onthe,linel3-3r of Fig.,2-., l

Fig. is. a horizontal section, taken on the line 4-.4 vof Fig.7 3. I I

fig. 5 is..a top plan view oi atplate carrying a'socketior said bulb.

.Eie. .6 is. atop .planviewlof 1a disks-Mk3 insulating member. carrying ,the. contacts to coact with the mercury pool. a fig, '7;.is..a top plan view of a plate downwardly centrally dished to provide a receptor for the pool of mercury. l v .iFig. 8V,is .a vertical section, taken ,on the line 8-"8 offFigp'l.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 9- 9 ofFig. 3.

8Claims. (01.40 4) Referring to the drawings more in detail, the structure 'illustratiuely shown comprises -:a [casing of isubstantially elliptical -crosssection having its sidewall it, its top walll l, and'a-bottomiflange i8 all parts of a single shell. The top wall l-Hhas :a reduced upward extension I9, suitably raper- -.t-u-red for the -.pass age:thereof of a liquid pour tubeZll and an airinlettube :21. 1

The casing l5 lengthwisely-thereof, on 90116501 both sides, carries :a panel, such as 'that-iindtcated-at-ZZ ;-such a panel for displayingthename of the drink, .as Kittys, or any advertising matter inregard thereto; Preferably-themasing I5 is of thin sheet-metaL-andhence opaque; santl a panel "22 i! is preferably of 2a suitablwtranslucent materialso carrying its :advertising matter :that ordinarily the latter-may be read yet--when the [inter'icriofthe casing: is illuminated the :aduertisingmatter-will"besuddenly-and sharply visual aecen-tuated. If the panel:,or-,panels-22:are integral wit-hthecasing l5, asthey .cou1d:be-were the ;casing :made' of a suitable plastic material. such a panel maybe suitably-set inside thevqasting opposite an "opening therethrough, and rheld invplace'in any suitable way as-bya-iframe; secured inside the casing "for @inarginally engaging the wpanelibeyonfdithe bounds'zofritsassociated opening.

,Any'electric'lamp bulb is ind-icatedsa't 2:3,:ami ,is -shown as ofthe;type having a screw base :25. Thesocket, 25 for such base is "formed-integral with .a thin {spring :metal plate :2;6,":pierced as at .21 and 28+for the passage therethrough :of rthe tubes at and 5-2 1 respectively. The plate 4,6 r3150 has an opening #219, has -struck up 'therefrom I spring tongue :39, :and has three apertures 13] which are placed "to match similar apertures through the bottom flange r.l:8 ofthecasing slfi, these apertures for-taking. small'bOlts 32-:ada-pted to' take: small-nuts-33, see; Figs. 2 to {5.

- fFor -being pesitioned=1as shown in Fig; 3 {below the plate 26 is the --;aforesaid disk-like insulating member -34 (see Fig. 6); this to be carried-pby a thinymetal plate ,35 (Figs. 7 and 8) centrally shaped to provide'a cup-like recept0r'36 iorta pool-31 0fmercury. The plate 35;beyond==the 36,; andlorutwardly toward a horizontal marg nal flange 38 matching s-the flange 11B of the casing I. 5, ,is "upwardly dished, to snow for interposition of the'insulatingimember' 34 between the plates 26 and 3.5, saidfiange 38Lfo'r matching the-flange I 3 of the casing -l5,-;and .having apertures}?! ;for' matching theapertures tl of the platezfi.

The insulating member M -is circular/in rautline andat a lower portionis otreduced diameter to,,-provide a bottom annular shoulder All 101' force fit into the upper interior of the cup 36.

Said member 34 is an insulator, and of a shape to be readily inexpensively moulded of an insulating plastic material having positioned in situ therein the contacts for the mercury pool; one of such contacts being marked 4| and the other 42. The insulating member 34 has two cylindrical openings 43 and 44 therethrough, one to allow passage of the tube 20 and the other to allow passage of the tube 2|. It will be noted from Fig. 6, that the contact 42 is extended, at its portion embedded in the member 34 so as to avoid contact with the tube 2|, and that this contact beyond the member 34 is flattened, and then curvilinearly bent on itself to provide a spring tongue 45 like the spring tongue 39, to which end the contact 42 is of spring metal.

The insulating member 34 is also shaped to have at its top a central downwardly tapering recess 46, across the bottom of which extends an intermediate length (see Fig. 3) of the contact row'er ends by a leaf-spring type bracket 48 (Figs.

3' and 4) fixed on the casing side wall l6. Set

in the'upper' end of the casing is an elliptical insulating ring 49 having secured thereto two like 'bmtreversely arranged contacts 50 and These contacts are made of spring metal, as spring brass, and shaped so that when they are secured t the ring 49 as shown each contact has a bot- "tom sprin tongue 52 or 53 and a laterally ofiset and 'curvilinearly extending arm 54 or 55. Thus; with said arms 54 and 55 conductively coupled byhaving soldered thereto as indicated the opposite ends of a short wire length'55,

and with the two batteries 41 positioned as shown and described so that their end electrodes are resiliently engaged (the two electrodes of one'battery between the spring tongues 30 and 52 and the two electrodes of the other battery between the spring tongues 45 and 53), a circuit isp'rovided' for energizing the bulb 23 which is wholly insulated from the casing and also from the plates 26 and 35 (the'aforesaid opening 29 through the plate 26 being provided to avoid any chance of the tongue 45 of the contact 42 touchiri'g'said plate) and in said circuit the two batteries are connected in series. S uch circuit, how ever, is normally open, at the mercury switch including the contacts 4| and 42 and the pool. 31, as shown in Fig. 3; that is, when the dispensing bottle 66 is resting an its bottom, upright. The plate 35, at the bottom of the cup 36, has apertures 5'! and 58, respectively for having passed therethrough the tubes 20 and 2|; these apertures surrounded by depending necks 59 and 60. A third bottom plate 6| is provided, this also having a peripheral flange 82, for matching the flanges of the casing I5, of the plate 26 and of the plate 35; and said flange 62 is aperturedto match'theapertures 3| of the plate 26. Thus, when said casing and said three plates are ass'embled as in Fig. 3, they are locked together by the bolts 32 and nuts 33, thereby to establish the device as shown in Fig. 1. Yet the device may be diiickl'y and easily opened up, merely by removing the three nuts, to get at the mercury switch, to substitute new batteries for the batteries 41, or to substitute a new bulb for the bulb 23.

Beforethe device is thus assemble-d, however, a cork or stopper 63 is forced down into the plate 6|, for being gripped within a bottom skirt 64 of saidplat'e; which latter has a very deeply dished tents, the mercury pool 31 is displaced to bridge the contacts 4| and 42; and the panels 22 be come brightly illuminated, by energization of the bulb 23, by way of a circuit including the end terminal of the lamp base, the contact 4|, the mercury pool 31, the contact 42, the battery 41 at the right in Fig. 3, the contact 5 l, the wire 56, the contact 5%], the other battery, the spring tongue 30 of the plate 26, the plate 26 and the socket 25 thereof engaging the other terminal of the bulb.

It is to be understood that instead of mercury, any other suitable liquid may be used t make electrical contact.

' While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the preclse construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An advertising device for a dispensing container of the kind to be displaced temporarily to an abnormal position incidental to a dispensing operation, comprising a casing, means carried by the casing for attaching the latter to said container, said casing carrying advertising matter, and electrical illuminating means for said ad vertising matter inside thecasing and including a circuit interrupted by a gap and a means operable to close said gap when and only when the container is displaced to said abnormal position, the last-named means including a mercury switch, said container being one having a top opening for dispensing a liquid therethrough, the first-named means being a stopper for closing said opening, and said device having a delivery means for said liquid including a liquid pour channel, said channel extending through said stopper, and also through the casing, said delivery means also incorporating an air inlet channel.

2. All advertising device for a dispensing container of the kind to be displaced temporarily to an abnormal position incidental to a dispensing operation, comprising a, casing, means carried by the casing for attaching the latter to said container, said casing carrying advertising matter, and electrical illuminating means for said advertising matter inside the casing and including a circuit interrupted by a gap and a means operable to close said gap when and only when the container is displaced to saidabnormal position, the last-named means including a mercury switch, said container being one having a top opening for dispensing a liquid therethrough, the first-named meansbeing a stopper for closing said opening, and said device having a delivery means for said liquid including. a liquid pour channel, said channel extending through said stopper, and also through the casing, said -1v delivery means also incorporatin an air inlet channel, each of said channelsbeinga separate tube, 'each tube having a lower end'below'the bottom of the stopper and an upper end above the top of the casing.

3. :An iadvertising device :for dispensing containereof the kind to be displaced {temporarily to aniabnormal position incidental to a dispensing operation, comprising a casing, ameans carried by the icasingefor attaching thelatter to "said icontairier, fStl'd. casing carrying ,advertising'matter, and electrical illuminating means for said advertising matter inside the casing and including afeircuit interrupted by .a gap and a meansoperable to close said gap when and only when the container is displaced to said abnormal position, the last-named means including a mercury sa'id container dieing one having a top opening for dispensing a liquid therethrough, the first-named means being a stopper for closing said opening, and said device having a delivery means for said liquid including a liquid pour channel, said channel extending through said stopper, and also through the casing, said delivery means also incorporating an air inlet channel, each of said channels being a separate tube, each tube having a lower end below the bottom of the stopper and an. upper end above the top of the casing, there being in said casing a battery-type current source for said circuit.

4. An advertising device for a dispensing container of the kind to be displaced temporarily to an abnormal position incidental to a dispensing operation, comprising a casing, means carried by the casing for attaching the latter to said container, said casing carrying advertising matter, and electrical illuminating means for said advertising matter inside the casing and including a circuit interrupted by a gap and a means operable to close said gap when and only when the "container is displaced to said abnormal position,

the last-named means including a mercury switch, said container being one having a top opening for dispensing a liquid therethrough, the

first-named means being a stopper for closing 4 said opening, and said device having a delivery means for said liquid including a liquid pour channel, said channel extending through said stopper, and also through the casing, said delivery means also incorporating an air inlet channel, each of said channels being a separate tube, each tube having a lower end below the bottom of the stopper and an upper end above the top of the casing, there being in said casing a battery-type current source for said circuit, said source including a pair of batteries arranged one alongside the other, and each of said tubes being a straight tube, said tubes arranged between the two batteries.

5. An advertising device for a dispensing container of the kind to be displaced temporarily to an abnormal position incidental to a dispensing operation, comprising a casing, means carried by the casing for attaching the latter to said container, said casing carryin advertising matter, and electrical illuminating means for said advertising matter inside the casing and including a circuit interrupted by a gap and a means operable to close said gap when and only when the container is displaced to said abnormal position, the last-named means including a mercury switch, said container being one having a top opening for dispensing a liquid therethrough, the first-named means being a stopper for closing said opening, and said device having a, delivery 6 meansfor saido-liquid :includingia :liquidpour channel, said channel extending ithrough'asaid stopper, and also through fthecasing, said Ldelivery means nlsoiincorporating an :air inlet channel each tor said channels being a separate tu'be, each'itube ihavingcat lower end below the bottom of the 'stopper'iand an upper end above the top of :the casing, there being in said casing a batterytype. current source for. said circuit, said source includin'g apair of batteries arrangedone along 's'ide'the iother, and each of said tubes being a straight Ztube, :is'ai'd tubes arranged between the two batteries, zsaid illuminating means incorporating-a lamp bulb positioned 'betw'een said tubes.

6. An advertising device for a dispensing containenoftheikindto be displaced temporarily to an abnormal position incidental to a dispensing operation, comprising a casing, means carried by the casing for attaching the latter to said container, said casing carrying advertisin matter, and electrical illuminating means for said advertising matter inside the casing'and including a circuit interrupted by a gap and a means operable to close said gap when and only when the container is displaced to said abnormal position, the last-named means including a, mercury switch, said container being one having a, top opening for dispensing a liquid therethrough, the first-named means being a stopper for closing said opening, and said device having a delivery means for said liquid including liquid pour channel, said channel extending through said stopper, and also through the casing, said delivery means also incorporating an air inlet channel, each of said channels being a separate tube, each tube having a lower end below the bottom of the stopper and an upper end above the top of the casing, said tubes traversing the pooling chamber for the mercury of said switch.

'7. An advertising dispenser for use with a bottle containin a liquid to be dispensed and having a neck opening, comprising a hollow casing in.- cluding a stopper at its bottom end for insertion into the neck opening of the'bottle for mounting said casing on the top of the bottle, spaced air inlet and liquid dispensing tubes mounted substantially through the center of said casing and said stopper, a transparent advertising area formed in the side wall of said casing, an electric bulb'mounted within said casing for illuminating said advertising area, an electric circuit for said bulb including a source of electric current within said casing and a pair of spaced contacts, and a pool of mercury within said casing, said spaced contacts being supported above said pool of mercury out of contact therewith, whereby when the bottle is inverted for dispensing some of the liquid through said liquid dispensing tube said pool of mercury will flow to contact said spaced contacts and complete said circuit to light said bulb and illuminate said advertising area.

8. An advertising dispenser for use with a bottle containing a liquid to be dispensed and having a neck opening, comprising a hollow casing including a stopper at its bottom end for insertion into the neck opening of the bottle for mounting said casing on the top of the bottle, spaced air inlet and liquid dispensing tubes mounted substantially through the center of said casing and said stopper, a transparent advertising area formed in the side wall of said casing, an electric bulb mounted within said casing for illuminating said advertising area, an electric circuit for said bulb including a source of electric current within said casing and a pair of spaced contacts, and a 7 pool of mercury within said casing, said spaced contacts being supported above said pooloi mercury out of contact therewith, whereby when the bottle is inverted for dispensing some of the liquid through said liquid dispensing tube said pool of 5 mercury will flow to contact said spaced contacts and complete said circuit to light said bulb and illuminate said advertising area, 'a plate Within said casing formed with an open topped cup containing said pool of mercury, and an insulation block closing the open top of said cup, said spaced contacts being mounted on said insulation block with the free ends depending into said cup but spaced, from the top surface of said pool of mercury.

l FRANK COSSA.

8 1 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,225,865 Schneible May 15, 1917 1,389,365 Kline Aug. 30, 1921 1,622,196 Howell Mar. 22, 1927 2,034,420 Reiland et al Mar. 17, 1936 2,041,724 Paul May 26, 1936 2,096,585 Hoeter Oct. 19, 1937 2,109,750 Paul Mar. 1, 1938 2,183,840 Kearns Dec. 19, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 321,202 Great Britain Oct. 28, 1929 

